220 – The Lost City of Z (with Katey Rich)

What this episode covers

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a little tradition, so naturally Vanity Fair’s Katey Rich makes her annual return to us this week to discuss James Gray’s The Lost City of Z. The film had a long pre-production history, including promises of Brad Pitt in the lead, that long positioned it as the film that might finally garner Gray some awards attention. Finally produced and with Charlie Hunnam replacing Pitt, the film made its world premiere at the 2016 New York Film Festival without distribution and received strong reviews. Though Amazon picked up the film, they held its release until the spring, effectively killing its awards chances. This episode, we discuss our shared love for the film and talk about Gray’s Oscar-elusive approach to material and his chances this season with Armageddon Time. We also talk about Sienna Miller face blindness, Robert Pattinson’s move towards auteur directors post-Twilight, and Amazon’s auteur-heavy 2017 crop of films. Topics also include renting VCRs, Darius Khondji’s luminous Lost City cinematography, and 2017 as the best Best Picture year post-expansion. Follow Us on Twitter! @Had_Oscar_Buzz Joe: @joereid Chris: @chrisvfeil Katey: @kateyrich